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SIXERS

, all the time.

December 2008

The Sixers will make their first trip to LA to face the Clippers since poaching Elton Brand from them tonight. Unfortunately, Brand won't be there. Calling the Utah game one they should have won may have been a tad optimistic, but this one absolutely has to go the Sixers' way.

I was sitting around earlier this afternoon thinking to myself that I haven't written a post that states the obvious in a while. I guess it's time to correct that, and not only will I state the obvious, but I'll back it up with stats. After the jump we'll take a close look at each game using the four factors, see just how bad the shooting has been, and how many games it's cost this team.

The more bad basketball this team plays, the closer they come to a change. That's what we have to keep telling ourselves at this point. The change could be a permanent coach, it could be a trade, it could be a drastic reshuffling of the rotation. Losses like this one to Utah really make you hope it comes sooner rather than later.

Kate Fagan made that bold statement in her post on tonight's game in Utah, and I'm going to agree. The Jazz will be without Carlos Boozer and Paul Milsap. Mehmet Okur may also be out of the lineup. Utah will be extremely thin in the front court, and their best player, Deron Williams, has been hampered by injuries all season, and hasn't really played like Deron Williams when he's been on the floor.

The oft-maligned Samuel Dalembert has been a point of contention on this blog for a long time. He's showed signs of development, and to be honest, defensive dominance, over the past couple of years, but his horrible hands and bone-headed plays cancel out the positives. Far too often, he just doesn't seem to get it.

It was just about a year ago that Ed Stefanski took a look at his roster and made his first move as GM. Kyle Korver and his $4M+ salary was moved out for a draft pick and Gordan Giricek. At the time, I bet Stefanski didn't think his team would be in virtually the same position a full year later. So, the question is, will he pull the trigger on another deal? The bigger question, which we'll get into after the jump, is what would be the goal of the trade? Cap relief, or contention.

Three obvious reasons the Sixers lost this game, 105-101 to the Nuggets. Which one do you like best? 1. Outscored by 30 points from three. (5 threes to 15) 2. Outworked on the boards (41 to 34 overall, 12 to 8 on the offensive glass) 3. Can't hit a free throw (18/30, 60%)

In Billups' first 20 games with the Nuggets, they were a scorching 16-4. Over the past five, however, they've taken a bit of a nosedive. While Billups was a huge reason for their great run, his poor play has also been a main ingredient in their recent downturn. Over the past five, he's shooting a paltry 36% from the floor. I wouldn't count on that continuing, though. We'll have a live game thread going in the comments, so stop by if you're watching.

The Sixers put up a little bit of a fight early in the first half, but by halftime, this one was pretty much decided. The 110-91 (f you Eddie House for shooting at the buzzer to pad your stats) win pushes the Celts' streak to 19 in a row. But the Sixers are working on a streak of their own. More on this after the jump.

When the Sixers step on the floor in Boston later tonight, they'll be the 19th team to try to knock off the Celtics over the past 5 weeks. The first 18 have failed. I'll be watching live, so stop by during the game and join the discussion.